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July 29, 2006

Coco Mentioned In Trade Talks

Michael Silverman reports that "a major league source yesterday said the Red Sox had recently made a concrete offer that included [Coco] Crisp to another team for a starter."

Keith Foulke threw 12 pitches, 10 for strikes, in his one perfect inning against the Vermont Lake Monsters last night. Foulke also threw a few curveballs, a pitch he estimated he hadn't used in seven years. "It's something I'm going to start trying to help keep hitters off my hard stuff. We'll see how it works."

Matt Clement is playing catch up to 100 feet. Terry Francona said it's "probably the best he's thrown yet as far as feeling good, and strength. He's probably a couple of days from" a side session.

3 comments:

Look, if Matt Clement the 2005 All Star, he of the 11-2 record, wants to come back and pitch this year, well... I'm all for it. BUT that other guy, that Door-Matt fella, the one that showed up after the All Star took a ball off his noggin, the one with the batting practice arm, if he shows up, he ought to just sit quietly somewhere and not be seen or heard from, until next year at the very least.

Damn, I know Coco has been a bit of a disapointment at the plate, but I hate hearing trade rumours about him. I'm hoping he'll return to form soon, and maybe regain something close to the .330 BA he had before the knuckle-buster. Really, the only bad thing I can say about the guy, is: WTF was he doing trying to steal third in the first place, he was IN scoring position already! Other than that, until I see him healthy for a longer stretch than I have so far, I reserve judgement, though not without a hint of frustration. I do think he's a VAST improvement with the glove in center, but he has to remember who is backing him up in left when he tries for something spectacular in left center. I'm not saying I don't appreciate Manny's efforts, but as we ALL know sometimes it is an adventure out there.

Foulke, jeez... if he came back and is a solid contributor, with an effective curveball, how great would that be. Right now it's pray for the starter to get close to the 7th or 8th and then pray that Timaah! Timlin is going to pitch like he can and usually does, not like he does sometimes when he gets hit REAL hard. I like Manny Delcarmen and he seems to have it together at times but sometimes it's like it all goes out the window.

Speaking of which, I have really had very little nasty to say about Tito managing this year and for good reason; the standings still show the Sox on top in the AL East, but really, last night, when Lester got out of the 6th inning, it was with a huge sigh of relief from me. To my eyes Lester was all done and he needed to sit with a hearty pat on the back for the good job he'd done. When he trotted back to the mound for the 7th I mumbled, "What's he (Francona) doing? The guy is all done." I prayed that I was wrong and he had one more inning left in him, but of course, he didn't. After the first hit I was livid, I grumbled "he's all done!" after the 2nd hit I raged at the screen "he's all done! he's all done!WTF!" And he was all done, but so too were the Sox they just didn't yet know it. The Halo's certainly weren't done though, not until they made Manny look like a pinata. Maybe if Manny gets us out of that inning Tito is right, but I seriously HATE seeing relievers handed the ball with inherited runners especially with less than two outs. It's the one thing I've disliked this year that Tito has a penchant for doing. But having said that, even in those instances he's managed to be right more often than not. So I'll cut him a little slack.

Personally, I know leaving the starter in is supposed to be the thing to do. Until he proves that he doesn't have it. Because the theory goes, that a tired superior arm is better than a fresh armed relief pitcher with inferior stuff. Pedro used to say crap like that. Pedro also used to get CREAMED after his 100th pitch on a regular basis.

Well, I say that when it becomes obvious that your starter has lost his stuff not only is he no better than a pitcher with lesser stuff he is usually far worse at that point.

True, the critics will cry when a pitcher like Lester is pulled after 6 innings when he's only given up a single run. But sometimes a guy like Manny Delcarmen is just going to perform for you better when given a clean sheet of paper, I dare say Julian Tavarez has allowed his fair share of inherited runner to score, but it seems to me that he's done admirably well when starting an inning in relief, the 19 inning game comes to mind.

Ahem, did I mention that given a clean inning to start even Julian Tavares has done admirably well? Red Sox win on Papi's walk off after 11...the Yankees & Randy Johnson are getting their top hats handed to them 17 to 5 so far... The Nation goes from dejection, and a lost first place slot to sublime happiness.